Sōdai Takuji
Sōdai Takuji was the Head of the Noble House Takuji Clan, as well as formerly an esteemed war hero during the Ultharon Invasion during his participation in it, as well as becoming the 10th Division Captain in place of the assumed deceased Toshiro Hitsugaya. He later diappears for prolonged periods of time, leaving his son, Seigi Takuji, in charge of the two branches of the Clan, while leaving the post of 10th Division Captain to be taken over by his youngest blooded son, Shindō Takuji. Appearance: Soudai's Casual Appearance.jpg|Soudai's Casual Appearance Soudai's Battle Armored Appearance.jpg|Soudai's War Attire Sōdai protrays a man in his late 30's early 40's, having a surprisingly resilient youthful visage as he bears no scars or wrinklings on his facial features save for the iconic diagonal lined wrinkles common among the males of his Clan. He bears a strong, well-built jaw with a well-crafted nose and deep, obsidian irises that will change to red-black when activating his Tamenkyōme. He has long, jet black hair that spikes up in a unruly fashion as he draps it over his shoulders and back down past his posterior. Bearing many scars along his back, chest and upper arms, Sōdai emanates the strength of a true warrior in the best physical capacity. Sōdai's casual attire is seen that of either a normal Shikhakushō with his 10th Division Captain's Haori overlaying it with a red sash tied around his waist to hold his Zanpakutō securely on his left hip, emphasizing his predominant right-handedness while still being ambidexterous, and wearing tower clog wooden sandals. The other form of his casual attire is that of a westernized, personally trimmed long-sleeved shirt and a suit jacket, along with a ornate necklace draped around his neck, with a elaborately golden trimmed belt that holds up his black slacks and black orantely golden trimmed shoes to boot. Sōdai's war attire however, usually forgoes to use of his Haori *depends on his mood* with either black-tinted or red tinted, plated armor over his chest, shoulders, arms and the back of his hands with black fitted silk to hold it all in place, as well as a cuirass to protect the lower regions as well as shin guards with combat sandals with socks. He's often seen placing his sword on his right hip as he wields his large black trimmed, red tomoe-engraved Gunbai that's nearly as long and wide as Sōdai is. Personality: Sōdai a patient, practical and logical creature, as he sets plans or prepares himself mentally and physically for every trying conflict, trial, confrontation and obstacle. Even in the heat of an overwhelming situation, Sōdai never breaks his calm nor cries out in pain or hesitates to preform self-inflicted agony to break the enemy's hold, having no possession of fear for nearly any and every situation or entity. Sōdai upon recieving the invitation to the Gotei 13 War Summit after Ultharon's initial invasion, Sōdai muses in a dry humor how the Gotei 13's inability to adapt to this new threat astounds him, as well as finds himself disappointed that they had no countermeasures for the probability of Ultharon's Invasion, period. While he can appear socially stand-offish, cold, even cynical at times, Sōdai's logic and preemptive strategic mindset overrides personal vendettas or annoyances he finds with people he works with or has relation to, having duty over feelings, and honor over status. Synopsis: Affiliations: History: Sōdai Takuji was born five hundred years into Genryūsai Yamamoto's deigned position as Head Captain, belonging to the slowly but surely growing Noble House Clan of Takuji. Always having been the reigning Clan to provide specialized weapons, technological prototypes, and some of the most historically revered Soul Reapers within and without the Gotei 13's ranks, Sōdai was brought up among his sibblings to be one day determined as the new heir to the Clan's leadership position. Always having been distant from his father, Sōdai never had a proper childhood as his mother died shortly after his first year of living, leaving his aunt to step and provide a surrogate motherhood to him. Even still, his cousin and aunt never truly felt like real family, something he somtimes often brought up in a cold, terse manner as he inwardly longed for affection. Burying it within the depths of his soul, Sōdai eventually became a permanently apathetic individual for the majority of his youth, devoting himself fully and solely to the Clan and himself. It wasn't long until his father died of a terminal illness that Sōdai was deemed fit to lead the Elite Branch, therefore ultimately lead the Clan itself, while his cousin leads the Prime Branch and held the majority responsibility over the Clan's well-being as well as maintaining a proper lineage for possible candidates for the Clan to "ascend" into the Elite's ranks. During the White War, Sōdai temporarily ceased all ties with the other Noble House Clans, believing as long as a traitorous snake like Sōsuke Aizen was alive, he'd make sure the survival and continuation of his Clan came first. He was about to take leave to battle Sōsuke when he felt nearly all available Gotei 13 members were incapacitated, but was stopped when he felt the awe-inspiring power the Substitute Soul Reaper acquired, only watching unseen from a distance with admiration and inspiration from the battle and the end result that followed. For the next ten years, Sōdai prepared for the eventual termination of the Captains as an impending foreboding horizon loomed over his precognitive subconscious. Also semi-aware of Ultharon's ressurection, Sōdai began to prepare his Clan for the worst case scenario to bolster the soon-to-be high casualty-ridden Gotei 13, revealing a good number of his Elite Branch's finest warriors. When attending the Emergency Captains' War Summit Meeting with the surviving Captains as well as the to-be Head Captain Shin'en, Sōdai emanated cynicism that any of the remaining Captains had what it took to overcome this obstacle, but quickly dropped the matter when a clear planned strategy for counterattack was presented, allowing him to present his own tactical expertise to the table. During his selected battle with Caius Louisenbairn, Sōdai regarded him with a sense of measured honor as he personally had surveyed Caius' battle with the other Captains and Lieutenants, showing much precision and skill to overcome them all. However, he later begins to rebuke him for following someone as selfish and petty as Ultharon, aiming to stir him up as well as fault such an obviously proud warrior bent to the will of such an immature and cowardly leader. Powers/Abilities: Soudai's Spiritual Pressure as Head of Takuji.jpg|Sōdai's Spiritual Pressure during the Ultharon Invasion and his Captaincy Sōdai's Terrifying Aura.jpg|Sōdai's Terrifying Aura Incredibly High Spiritual Power: Sōdai retains some of the highest known levels of Spiritual Power of the Noble House Clans' Heads, capable of producing unquantifiably high amounts of energy for his useage and employment. Capable of making a deafening shockwave when forcefully exerting his Spiritual Pressure, Sōdai can even force individuals such as the Captains of the Gotei 13 to think twice, and be in comparison to the Head Captain Shin'en's Spiritual Pressure, all while during his time as both the Head of the Takuji Clan and Captain of the 10th Division. Currently, it is unknown if Sōdai has increased his powers over the course of the three centuries, or if he maintained his prowess over his vast array of powers and techniques. Grandmaster Swordsman: Next to Head Captain Shin'en, Sōdai maintained the highest renowned level of swordsmanship known to the Soul Society, proving this during his battle with Caius Louisenbairn and other Hollow forces, easily dispacthing the latter while evenly countering the prior. Capable of producing a rippling mass of destructive cutting power to thunderous fissures of incinerative spirit energy and geysers of erupting power, Sōdai is capable of nearly every feat an ascended swordsman would aspire to attaining and more. Hohō Mastery: Capable of producing long-strided nearly unnoticeable Steps, Sōdai is a renowned Master within the arts of Hohō and the various applications of utilizing the Flash Step in any number of practical, unpredictable, and sometimes unorthodoxical manners. He can create nearly full-powered Clones, capable of utilizing his own techniques and fighting abilities while multilaterally connected to his subconscious, all of them having the potential of fighting 50% of his powers. Knowing nearly all of the Onmitsukidō's special Hohō techniques, Sōdai is an incredibly swift and versatile combatant when using the arts of Hohō. Hakuda Mastery: Sōdai's physically attuned and versed attributes make him a very nimble, swift, agile and resilient warrior, making him capable of moving at high speeds even without the aide of Flash Step, moving in leaps and bounds faster than any mere Soul Reaper officer is capable of. Able to preform some incredibly skillful art forms of martial artistic combat, as well as initiate both speed and strength, as well as keen reaction/timing (augmented by the Tamenkyōme) in anticipating his opponent's reflexes and movements. Kidō Mastery: Sōdai's abilities in utilizing the ways of binding and destruction in the Kidō arts, Sōdai is a very accomplished and well-versed user of the spells that were crafted for the Gotei 13's knowledge and employment in combat, as well as a number of other practical uses. He's been seen and heard of utilizing Kidō at flawless levels against powerful opponents, sometimes not even needing to utter aloud when employing them against his opponents while still yielding its fullest power and potential. Having preserved the Takuji Clan's Ocular Kidō, Tamenkyōme, Sōdai has mastered this spell to the point of mastering it past of what his father would've been capable of, even passing on its teachings to his two sons, Shindō and Seigi. A known practitioner within X-Level Kidō, Sōdai has honed and mastered one of the most powerful forms of Kidō that the Tamenkyōme Chōetsu could attain: Bunkō-shin. Tamenkyōme (多面鏡目 Tamen-kyō-me, Lit Translation, "Triple Pronged Mirror Eye,"): A specialized Ocular Kidō belonging to the Takuji Clan, it enhances the user's vision and perception of everything within his/her sight. This gives a boost or heightened sense of reaction timing, reading the movements of the incoming target(s) or opponent(s), allowing them to evade or counter accordingly with thoroughness envied by many who worked for that kind've reflex timing. It also has the ability to see the scale of power in terms of Spiritual Energy, Reason, and Philosophy from entity to entity, as well as See-Through Illusions of any kind, whether they be Zanpakuto or Kidō. Tamenkyōme Chōetsu (多面鏡の目を超越 Tamen-kyō no me o chōetsu, Lit Translation, "Transcended Triple Pronged Mirror Eye,"):There is a level above the Tamenkyōme known as, Tamenkyōme Chōetsu. Its powers are enhanced while also giving way to more Kidō-based abilities of tremendous power, one of which is known through the Clan's legend as the Bunkō-shin (分光神, Bunkou-shin ; Lit Translation, "Spectral god."). The requirement of learning this Kidō is the personal large stores of Spiritual Energy within them, and strong sense of control and understanding of Tamenkyōme. Soudai's Bunkou-shin's Passive Defense.jpg|Bunkō-shin's Passive Protective Shield Soudai's Bunkou-shin's Neutral Stance.jpg|Sōdai's Bunkō-shin's Neutral State Soudai's Bunkou-shin's Offense Form.png|Sōdai's Bunkō-shin in its Offensive Form Bunkō-shin (分光神, Bunkou-shin ; Lit Translation, "Spectral god,"): Bunkō-shin is known to be one of the highest classes of Kidō known, as it is incredibly resilient that it surpasses almost all known Kidō barriers or Sealing techniques, while retaining a high amount of destructive power. Depending on the mastery of this particular form of Kidō, one could access various abilities such as innate automatic protection, or enlarge and harness its incredible aggressive powers in combat. Able to keep around its user in sync of his/her movements, it is the highest grade known "Battle-Support" Kidō of the X-Class Kidō known. Equipment/Paraphenilia: Kidō Gunbai: Sōdai carried this unique artifact and tool with him when going into a fierce battle or confrontation. It would often be used as as shield against both physical and energy-based attacks, having the ability to either absorb them temporarily, reflect them back to the aggressor, or discharge its own heightened wordless Kidō spells reserved only for the practitioner of the tool. Sōdai has often used it in sync with his Zanpakutō in its Shikai form. Kidō Armor: Sōdai embodies this type of additional protection when foes of known dangerous reputation and power can possibly induce harm to him, this specially woven piece of armor made by the Spiritsmiths of his Clan. This piece of incredible technological igenuity, allows the pieces of metalic substance to disperse most forms of Spiritual Energy based attacks, nullifies acids, projects a small aura of oxygen-breathable air in the event poison is introduced proximate to the user, and even absorbs the kinetic force of a physical attack and ricochets it back to the attacker. Kidō Cutting Threads: The first generation of the future tangible binding/cutting threads available to the D.C.O., Sōdai can use his own spirit energy to create deft, versatile threads of spiritrons made of tens of thousands of condensed and heightened energy, allowing him to cut through most substances with ease and bind of which he cannot cut through. Kunai & Shuriken: For more tactical purposes than actual killing blows, Sōdai employs the use of kunai knives and shuirken, capable of utilizing an array of tech and tools along with them, as well as acting as mediums or catalysts for Kidō spells. Zanpakutō: Sōdai's Zanpakutō.jpg|Satsushobun's Sealed Form Sōdai's Zanpakutō Shikai.jpg|Satsushobun's Shikai Form Satsushobun(殺処分 satsu-sho-bun; Jap Lit Translation, "The Culling,"): Satsushobun in its sealed form is a blood-red threaded hilt 4 1/2 foot long katana, with a brass eliptical tsuba and a brass pommel, with dangling brass beaded tassles, the sheathe itself is also dark red, but is usually wrapped by an elaborate violet and red cloth sash. Shikai Form: On the release command, "Annihilate them," and then calling out its name, the Zanpakutō turns into a obsidian, iron-wooden meshed pole hilt that is over five and a half feet long and a crescent blade of nearly four feet long, radiating a sickly, dark red aura and permeates death in the air as well as a menacing pressure. Shikai Passive Abilities: Satsushobun has a very deft, versatile construct, making it capable for Sōdai to utilize with heightened swordsmanship prowess, capable of cutting rifts incredibly large and through the bonds of most metalic reinforcement, both made of Kidō and naturally high Spiritual Power/Pressure. It has the ability of cutting through almost anything, as well as produce frighteningly dangerus energy-based techniques in sync with his magnificent swordplay. Karitori Hayate (刈り取り疾風, karitori hayate; Jap Lit Translation, "Reaping Gale."): This is a technique that is capable of employing the true strength of Satsushobun's power: The ability to break down the bonds of Spiritrons of Matter and destroy them utterly. When this devestating arc of torrentially destructive energy-filled wind is released upon its target of contact, the energy's essence begins to destroy and break apart the bonds of Spirit or Living being at a rapid pace. With those who retain a large amount of Spiritual Power it may take a few seconds, while those who are weak will be consumed within an instant of being in contact with the technique's aura. Bankai: Shūdan Satsushobun (集団殺処分 shuudan satsushobun; Jap Lit Translation, "The Mass Culling,"): Not yet revealed. Behind the scenes/Trivia: Quote(s): Category:Shindō Takuji Category:Seigi Takuji